Swimming buoy or apparatus



1959 E. G. CHAMBERLAIN 2,898,610

SWIMMING BUOY OR APPARATUS Filed Nov. 9, 1955 INVENT OR EDWARD 6. CHAMBERLAIN United States Patent SWIMMING BUOY OR APPARATUS Edward G. Chamberlain, North Miami, Fla.

Application November 9, 1955, Serial No. 545,239

2 Claims. (Cl. 917) This invention relates to an improved type of swimming apparatus for children to wear while they are learning to swim.

There have been many attempts by prior inventors to develop a swimming aid which would meet all the requirements of practice. These prior art swimming devices have a number of disadvantages in that they are bulky, awkward, and tend to scratch or injure the body of the wearer. Children are naturally afraid of water and Will avoid learning to swim if possible. The use of a swimming device which will support the child properly and comfortably while he learns to swim gives him a sense of security and does not cause him any unnecessary pain.

It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention to provide a large air bladder to support the child easily and comfortably and which does not interfere with his movements as he swims.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cloth cover for the bladder which does not irritate the childs skin and which is easily repairable.

Another object of my invention is to provide a pair of trapezoidal shaped straps for attaching a rubber belt member to the cloth cover of the swimming device whereby the tension of the belt may be spread over a larger area of the cloth cover to reduce tearing.

A further object of my invention is to provide a swimming apparatus that may be inflated for long periods of time or deflated to fold flat into a small space. These and other objects will become more readily apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

hliilg. 1 shows the invention in elevation attached to a c 1 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the invention, and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View through the center of the invention illustrating the valve and strap arrangement.

Fig. 1 shows the invention fastened to the waist of a child and generally consists of an inflated member engaging the body of the child in the small of the back with a belt 12 for holding the inflated member in place.

Fig. 3 shows the inflatable member 14 which is made of rubber or any air tight material. A cloth cover 16 to protect the childs skin is provided. A valve 18 of the usual football type is shown mounted on the bladder 14 projecting through an eyelet 20 mounted on the cloth cover 16. The straps 22 are trapezoidal in shape and are attached by the long base of the trapezoid to the opposite sides of the elliptically shaped cloth cover 16 midway between the farthest extremities. The straps 22 are made out of cloth, generally the same type as the cloth cover 16.

Two half belt members 24 are attached to the short bases of the trapezoidal members 22. The half belt members are made of rubberized fabric. Two buckle members 26 and 28 are attached to the free ends of the belt with a usual belt adjuster 30.

The cloth cover 16 completely surrounds the air bladder 14 with no projecting'points or hard surfaces exposed Patented Aug. 11, 1959 except for the rubber valve, which normally projects away from the wearer. The swimming device therefore will not scratch or injure the child. If the device is put on backwards the rubber tip of the valve 18 will contact the childs back and warn him that it is on backwards.

In practice the person teaching the child to swim inflates the bladder 14 and straps the apparatus to the child, being careful to place the valve 18 facing the rear so that it will not irritate the childs skin. The child is thus provided with a large, buoyant chamber which will support him in the water without interfering with his motions as he exercises. The trapezoidal members 22 spread the stress of the belt to a layer part of the cloth cover 16 thereby reducing tearing of the cover 16, and providing a more comfortable fit. The trapezoidal members 22 also tend to keep the childs arms from. being caught between the belt and the bladder by reducing the open space between the belt and the bladder.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to be practical and eflicient embodiments of my invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A swimming apparatus, adapted to be worn around the waist of a child, consisting of a single inflatable bladder, said bladder, in its normally inflated condition, being circular in transverse cross section and elliptical in longitudinal section, a valve for inflating said bladder, said valve being located on a projection from the major axis of said ellipse and protruding a short distance out from the surface of said bladder, a fabric cover surrounding said bladder and completely confining the same in an enclosed space, an eyelet in said fabric located adjacent said valve, and said valve protruding above the surface of said bladder through said eyelet to be accessible for inflating said bladder, two rubberized elastic straps, each having a buckle part attached to one end thereof, two trapezoidal shaped fabric connecting: members, each fastened along the longer base to said cover at diametrically opposite locations, means fastening the shorter base of said member to the other end of said strap, whereby said bladder will be stabilized in position on the body of the wearer and the stress from the straps will be spread out over a large portion of said cover.

2. A swimming apparatus comprising an inflatable bladder, an inflating valve mounted centrally located on one side of said bladder, a fabric cover surrounding said bladder, said cover comprising a pair of flat elliptical cloth sheets superimposed and secured together along corresponding marginal edges, an eyelet centrally located in one of said cloth sheets to provide access to said valve for the inflation of said bladder, two trapezoidal shaped fabric connecting members, each connected at one end to the marginal edges of said sheets, and two rubberized elastic straps, each having a buckle part attached to one end thereof, and each being attached at the other end thereof to the free end of said fabric members, the bladder and its cover resting centrally in the small of the back of the wearer with the length of the ellipsoid disposed lengthwise of the backbone, whereby free movement of the arms and legs of the wearer is possible and the largest practical amount of air volume may be achieved.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS v 

